Sudan clears way for talks to end civil war
July 9, 1997
Web posted at: 8:57 a.m. EDT (1257 GMT)
NAIROBI, Kenya (CNN) -- The Sudanese government has accepted a framework for negotiations to end the north-central African nation's 14-year civil war, African leaders announced at the end of a summit Wednesday.
The agreement clears the way for a resumption of talks, which broke off nearly three years ago.
"The summit welcomed the acceptance by the government of Sudan of the declaration of principles as the basis for discussions and negotiations," the five leaders said in a statement at the end of their two-day regional summit on Sudan.
"The summit considered this development a major breakthrough in the peace initiative. This will enable the parties to the conflict to freely discuss and negotiate on all the points enshrined in the declaration of principles," the leaders added.
Sundan President Lt. Gen. Omar Hassan al-Bashir was among those who approved the statement.
It was not immediately clear when the peace talks would take place, but the leaders at the summit urged a "speedy resumption of the negotiations."
Peace talks between al-Bashir and southern Sudanese rebel leader John Garang, mediated by regional states, broke down in September 1994 when Sudan refused to sign the declaration of principles.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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